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B. L. HASTINGS. NEEDLETHRBADER.

Patented Feb. 28, 18 93.

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ATTVm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT L. HASTINGS, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO HENRY O. STEARNS, OF SAME PLACE.

NEEDLE-TH READER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 492,581, dated February 28, 1893.

' Application filed May 7,1892. Serial No. 432,209. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT L. HASTINGS, a resident of Waltham, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Needle-Threaders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to needle-threaders to be used with ordinary and sewing-machine needles, threaded by hand; and has for its object to provide an inexpensive device with I which needles can be threaded quickly, easily, without the experience and careful adjustment of needle and thread and the straining of the eyes of the operator, which is usually necessary when the same is done by hand, unaided by any device; and thus avoid the waste of time, vexation, and injury to the eyes often incident to the ordinary method.

My invention consists in the various matters hereinafter described and referred to in the appended claims.

I will now proceed to describe in detail and have illustrated in the accompanying drawings the form in which Iconstruct my invention and which I now consider the most desirable, with an explanation of the method of applying and using the same.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of my needle threader and illustates the operation of threading a needle. Fig. 2 is a central section, showing the threadcatcher returned to its normal position with the thread carried through the eye of the needle. Fig. 3 represents side and edge views of the thread-catcher. Fig. 4 is an end view of the needle-rest.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a base in which is fitted a spindle, B, from the surface of which projects the pin, is, and having attached to its upper end the thread-catcher, E, formed of a flat, narrow shank, provided with a hook or catch, e, for carrying a loop of thread through the eye of a needle in the manner hereinafter more fully set forth. En gaging the lower end of the spindle, B, is the spring, D, for returning to position when depressed the sleeve, O, loosely mounted upon said spindle, the longitudinal movement of said sleeve upon said spindle being limited by the length of the-slot, h, in which rests said pin, it. Also by means of said slot and pin, the sleeve is prevented from rotating upon said spindle, thus keeping the hook, e, of the thread-catcher, E, in positive alignment with the groove or recess, 0, of the needle-rest, p, which forms the upper end of the sleeve, 0.

In the groove or recess, 0, is the aperture, g, for permitting the movement of the needlerest, p, to position above and below the hook, e, of said thread-catcher; said groove being provided with the shoulder, d, placed therein at the end away from which is turned or directed the hook, e, the relative position of said shoulder to said aperture being such that the eye of the needle, placed in the groove, c,with its eye end resting against said shoulder will be located over said aperture.

In the operation of my device, a loop of thread, as t, is held in one hand and with the other a needle, as b, placed upon the needlerest, its shank in the groove with the eye end resting against the shoulder, d, and the eye in alignment with the aperture, g. This adj ustment can be eflected easily by the hand, without any careful adjustment of the needle by theeye. By pressing the needle downward, it and the needle-rest are pressed down over the shank of the thread-catcher, carrying the hook, e, through and above the eye of the needle. Then a loop of thread is thrown about and drawn taut against the shank as shown in Fig. 1; by releasing the pressure upon the needle and rest, the latter rises and the thread-catcher is returned to its normal position, carrying the end of theloop of thread through the eye of the needle and the aperture of the needle-rest as shown in Fig. 2; then, by lifting the needle, the short end of the loop is drawn through the eye of the neoticularly point out in claims those elements and features which I deem to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent.

I claim 1. In a needle threader, an upright spindle having a hook attached to its upper end, in combination with a sleeve sliding longitudinally upon said spindle, a needle rest supported on the upper end of said sleeve having a groove for guiding the needle, an aperture in said groove for the passage of said hook, a shoulder at one end of said groove for regulating the position of the eye of the needle relative to said aperture, and a spring for holding said needle rest normally above the hook; substantially as described.

2. In a needle threader, an upright spindle provided with a pin upon the body thereof and having a hook attached to its upper end,

in combination with a sleeve sliding longi- 2 In testimony whereof I hereunto set my signature in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT L. HASTINGS.

\Vitnesses:

J. FOSTER Brscou, CHARLES, A. RING. 

